Xie Liangchen finished speaking, stood up, and prepared to leave.
However, Xie Rulan reacted first, blocking Xie Liangchen's path: "Elder Sister, make yourself clear."
Xie Rulan couldn't let Xie Liangchen leave just like that, at least not until their father arrived.
Mrs. Qiao also came to her senses. She wasn't concerned about Xie Liangchen, but wanted to know what Madam Su was truly thinking.
Seeing Madam Su putting away the letter of annulment, Mrs. Qiao felt like she was roasted over a fire.
Madam Su sat there without refuting Xie Liangchen, which implied acquiescence?
Thinking of this, Mrs. Qiao trembled all over, and as she was unsure what to do, she saw Second Master Xie stride over.
Mrs. Qiao, feeling backed by support, was overwhelmed with grievances and anger, hoping her husband would teach Xie Liangchen a lesson.
Second Master Xie valued the marriage with the Su Family and had been waiting in the outer courtyard for news, but he had never expected such an outcome; no wonder the dowry and land were acquired so smoothly—it turned out that vile woman colluded with outsiders to plot against him.
If it weren't for the presence of the Su Family, Second Master Xie would have slapped Xie Liangchen right across the face.
Second Master Xie's eyes widened: "I don't know what filthy tricks you've learned outside to use against your own family..."
Before Second Master Xie could finish, his vision blurred, and Old Mrs. Chen and Chen Zigeng stepped forward simultaneously to shield Xie Liangchen.
"Those with black hearts always say others are heartless," Old Mrs. Chen said. "Don't think this old woman is blind. How much of my daughter's dowry have you used? Aren't you aware? You call yourself a scholar, but even I know you can't take what's not yours even if you starve—did your studies go straight to the dog's stomach?"
As Old Mrs. Chen spoke, she looked at Chen Zigeng: "You study too, make sure not to learn this."
"Don't worry, Grandmother," Chen Zigeng's voice was clear with a hint of childishness, "our teacher teaches us to be human, not beasts."
He was being called inhuman, and upon hearing these words, Second Master Xie's veins bulged on his forehead, his fists clenched and trembling.
Xie Liangchen looked at the two people in front of her, her grandmother's head full of silver hair, her thin back standing straight, and her younger brother, still so small, spreading his arms like a mother hen trying to protect her under his wings.
Xie Liangchen felt both touched and pained, she took two steps forward to face the distorted expression of Second Master Xie.
Xie Liangchen's voice was clear: "Uncle, what do you think I did wrong?"
Xie Liangchen didn't wait for Second Master Xie to answer, and continued: "Did I violate any household rules by taking these things back?"
"The engagement with the Su Family was decided by my father, what does it have to do with you, Uncle?"
"Now that you're this angry, Uncle, could it be that you had already claimed these for yourself in your heart?"
With a tight throat, Second Master Xie found himself unable to find a fitting retort.
Xie Liangchen said: "In this world, it is each according to their own abilities. For you, Uncle, we from the eldest branch are a burden. Since that's the case, why linger over the belongings of the eldest branch?
We have now settled matters clearly with the Su Family, and if Uncle wants to marry your sister to the Su Family's eldest master, Madam Su is right here, you can directly mention it to her.
Uncle is a scholar, claiming superiority over my father. Whatever marriage contract my father could secure, surely Uncle wouldn't find it troublesome."
After saying all this in one breath, Xie Liangchen saluted Second Master Xie: "Here I congratulate Second Master Xie on a double blessing."
One is shaking off the eldest branch of the Xie Family, the other is forming a marriage tie with the Su Family.
Isn't this exactly what Second Master Xie wants?
In a fit of rage, Second Master Xie finally couldn't hold back and raised his hand to slap Xie Liangchen.
Seeing this, Old Mrs. Chen hurriedly went to pull her granddaughter, but to her surprise, she couldn't drag her away.
Thinking her granddaughter was about to suffer, Old Mrs. Chen felt a pang of sadness.
The anticipated sound of a slap did not come, transforming instead into Second Master Xie's cry of pain.
Second Master Xie only felt a sharp pain in his arm, and when he looked closely, there were four long needles stuck in his wrist and palm, and in an instant, those needles were drawn out, leaving behind several beads of blood at the needle holes.
The pain wasn't limited to his arm; his leg too throbbed with agony.
Just now, Chen Zigeng had lunged over and taken a hard bite out of his leg.
Overwhelmed for a moment, by the time Second Master Xie came to his senses, Chen Zigeng had already nimbly dodged away.
"Papa."
"Master."
Mrs. Qiao and Xie Rulan called out simultaneously.
"Quick, someone!"
As Mrs. Qiao shouted, the servants of the Xie Family gathered around.
Second Master Xie clutched his arm, feeling both pain and numbness from the needle piercings, incredulous as he looked at Xie Liangchen, how could she know these things?
Meeting Second Master Xie's gaze, Xie Liangchen's lips opened as she spat out two words: "Don't move."
Gazing into those clear eyes, Second Master Xie instinctively felt that the needles were "poisoned."
Just stood there for a moment, and the steward ran in to report: "The Patriarch is here."
Second Master Xie's face looked even worse.
Old Mrs. Chen and Chen Zigeng both breathed a sigh of relief, with the Xie Family Patriarch here, Second Master Xie wouldn't dare act recklessly.
Xie Liangchen softly pursed her moist lips: "Second Uncle's arm has a problem; let me do some acupuncture for Second Uncle, and after a brief rest, Second Uncle will feel much better."
Xie Rulan said: "You're talking nonsense, you clearly are..." Before she could finish, she felt a fierce gaze sweeping over her face.
Xie Rulan instinctively held her tongue, but quickly realized that the fierce gaze actually came from Xie Liangchen.
Xie Liangchen said: "It is only right for me to take back my things, even if Second Uncle is still resentful, he still cannot hit me.
After saying this, Xie Liangchen added with a smile: "You can go to the government office to sue me."
Second Master Xie thought of the documents from the Xie Family Patriarch and the government office that Xie Liangchen held. Sue her? It would only be his embarrassment. Just like going to the front yard to complain to the Xie Family Patriarch now, it would not result in a favorable outcome for him either.
"Father." Xie Rulan watched as Xie Liangchen and the Chen Family people left the courtyard together, anxious but helpless, all she could do was grab onto Second Master Xie's sleeve.
How quickly the scene unfolded and then ended.
Compared to the noise earlier, the current silence was even more unsettling.
Second Master Xie looked at Madam Su, who had been sitting there all along.
Mrs. Qiao remembered something and turned to Madam Su: "Madam, please forgive our embarrassment, we didn't expect Liangchen to be like this."
Madam Su nodded: "Neither did I." Someone who seemed so delicate, not only sharp-tongued but also able to harm with needles, manipulated both her and the Xie Family's second branch.
Madam Su felt dissatisfied, but she could not show it in front of the Xie Family's second branch.
"Everyone has their own skills," she said, "but the fault lies in Xie Liangchen's arrogance; does she think that by getting the mountain land she can turn the tables? It's not that simple," Madam Su's eyes slightly darkened.
She was a person who clearly distinguished between gratitude and grudges. For the sake of breaking off the engagement, she could endure for now, but once she left the gates of the Xie Family, she wouldn't let those who schemed against her get away, and she would inevitably give Xie Liangchen a little lesson.
Madam Su collected her thoughts, still maintaining a pleasant smile: "Now that the matter is settled, I should be going."
Mrs. Qiao's expression changed again and she hurried forward: "Madam, please don't rush off, why don't we go inside and have a talk?" Saying so, she looked towards Xie Rulan.
Xie Rulan quickly walked a few steps to Madam Su's side, just about to greet her with a smile, when she met Madam Su's gaze.
Madam Su's eyes carried an appraisal, as if assessing an item: "Do you want to be related to us by marriage?"
Second Master Xie's throat moved, the words already spoken, there was no need to be discreet: "Madam, our families have been acquainted for many years, I've watched Huaiqing grow up with my own eyes and am indeed fond of Huaiqing. Just look at my daughter Rulan..."
Madam Su's smile did not change, but her attitude was firm: "Second Master Xie is right, Huaiqing is a good boy, so when he achieves success, I shall seek a bride from a noble family to match him, so as not to wrong him."
Second Master Xie's face turned from white to red, then from red to green.
Madam Su did not linger any longer, taking her people and leaving.
Xie Rulan felt her legs go weak, her mind replaying Madam Su's words over and over, had Madam Su really just rejected her like that? Xie Rulan wanted to cry but felt too upset to shed any tears.
"Father..."
Xie Rulan wanted to grab Second Master Xie, but Second Master Xie, overwhelmed by anger and shame, threw off his sleeve with irritation, causing Xie Rulan to miss her target.
Xie Rulan stumbled and fell to the ground.
"What are we going to do?" Mrs. Qiao began to wail, lamenting the loss of land and the broken engagement with the Su Family, wondering what they would do now.
Second Master Xie gritted his teeth, this matter was not over, he was determined to teach that wench a lesson.
...
Xie Liangchen, Old Mrs. Chen, and Chen Zigeng sat in the rented mule cart.
The three of them continuously wore smiles on their faces.
"Grandmother."
Old Mrs. Chen felt a softness beside her as her granddaughter leaned in.
Her head resting on her shoulder, her granddaughter said: "Grandmother, I think there are some things we don't need to take back home. Like those pieces of jewelry, they aren't the ones mother brought to the Xie Family, but rather ones that Mrs. Qiao bought to make up for it. We can trade them for silver coins and then use the silver to buy the things we need."
Old Mrs. Chen was still marveling at her granddaughter's capability, and naturally agreed when she heard this: "You're right, we should do as you say."
Xie Liangchen said: "Does that include what we buy?"
"As you say." Old Mrs. Chen didn't think much of it, wondering how much money could a young girl possibly spend?
Xie Liangchen asked: "You won't regret it?"
Old Mrs. Chen confidently replied: "No regrets, it's all for you to use."
However, not more than three quarters of an hour after saying those words, Old Mrs. Chen regretted them deeply.